A FORMER drug addict from Farnham has been jailed after he admitted stealing almost £2,000 from kennels in order to fund his habit.

Wayne Melton, 27, climbed through a window at Mink Farm in Littlewick Road, Knaphill, near Woking, and grabbed two cash boxes along with a computer and a laptop.

He was handed a 50-week prison sentence at Guildford Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to burglary of a non-domestic dwelling.

Judge Christopher Critchlow activated a 52-week suspended sentence that Melton received in June last year for supplying class A drugs, but reduced that term to 40 weeks to run consecutively.

Melton also appeared in court charged with breaching a probation order after he failed to show up for two appointments with officers.

Prosecutor Jill Beale said the defendant, of Tilford Road, Farnham, was spotted on CCTV at the kennels with another man close by.

“The office area was entered and there were some cash boxes within the area,” she said.

“The defendant stole two cash boxes containing £1,850 along with a laptop and a computer.

“He [Milton] climbed in through a window, went inside and passed the items to his companion outside.”

The court heard probation officers were expecting to see Melton in the months before the burglary on two separate occasions - June 10 and August 4.

Melton had been handed the suspended sentence at Winchester Crown Court after he was caught selling wraps of heroin to undercover police officers for between £20 and £30.

He also asked for offences of taking a motor vehicle without consent, handling stolen goods, being carried in a stolen vehicle and possession of heroin, all in September 2009, to be taken into consideration.

Paul Jackson, defending, argued that his client should be given a “last, final opportunity” to complete his drug rehabilitation requirement.

“The burglary was impulsive and unsophisticated,” he said. “He did it to finance his habit.”

He said Melton did not show up to probation meetings because he ran into personal problems after being given the suspended sentence.

“He started well and to his credit there is a very long list of test results which is a good argument for continuing the requirement,” Mr Jackson said.

“His partner suffered a miscarriage which led to a great deal of emotional turmoil.

“He couldn’t cope and relapsed into his previous ways of taking drugs. He then breached his order and committed these further offences to fund his habit.”

The 117 days Melton spent on remand will count towards his jail sentence. Half of it will be served on licence.

“You are somebody who committed this offence just three months after you were given a suspended sentence for supplying class A drugs,” Judge Critchlow added.

“You knew what you were doing but there is hope that you will continue to make the effort to get off drugs.